Watch CBS News

Earthquakes In Lake Tahoe Present The Potential For Bigger Problems

LAKE TAHOE (CBS13) – Frequent earthquakes across Northern California over the last several weeks have sparked questions about the natural disasters ahead.

State Geologist Steve Bohlen with California Geological Survey says the region has recently experienced earthquakes in rapid succession.

"We happen to be in a bit of an active period right now," said Bohlen.

At the end of April, a 3.8-magnitude earthquake hit the center of Lake Tahoe, followed by a 4.7-magnitude earthquake in Truckeewhich was felt from Sacramento all the way to Reno.

"That was the biggest one I felt since I was out here. There were some lights and stuff swinging, something fell off the wall," said Ryan Callahan, who was at the Tourist Club in Truckee when the earthquake hit.

Seismologists tracking the activity say there's another, uncommon threat as well.

"There is a Tsunami hazard around Lake Tahoe," said Bohlen, who explains a magnitude-7 earthquake coming from the lake, though unlikely, could cause Tsunami-like waves.

"It would be significant emergency response effort in the Tahoe area if a magnitude-7 were to occur," he said.

How would you know if a Tsunami hit?

"If you feel an earthquake for [an] extended period of time, you really ought to think about moving to higher ground as quickly as possible," he said.

"It's an interesting idea thinking there could be a tsunami in Lake Tahoe," said Logan, who's visiting North Lake Tahoe this week.

But Tsunamis aren't something to sell your lakefront house over. Bohlen says just be prepared.

"Californians should have a safety kit with food, water...have a family plan of how to get together...when cellphones are down," he said.

An early warning system called Shake Alert could give precious extra seconds when an earthquake does hit.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.